Southern California Christian High School's Tara Cross, the CIF Southern Section 1-A Volleyball Player of the Year, has signed a letter of intent to play at Cal State Long Beach in the fall. The 6-foot Cross, who played her sophomore and junior seasons at Gahr High, was also a member of the Volleyball Monthly All-American team. She played for Gahr's 5-A championship team in 1984, before transferring to SCC.

Southern California Christian High School setter Cinnamon Williams, who helped the girls' volleyball team to the 1985 Southern Section 1-A championship and the State Small Schools title last fall, Wednesday signed a national letter of intent to attend UCLA. Williams was a Volleyball Monthly Magazine High School All-American.

Runners, hurdlers and other world-class athletes will attend a "Night of Greatness" at Southern California Christian High School tonight at 6:30 to discuss their careers and urge students to stay off drugs. The public is invited to meet the athletes and browse through informational booths set up by universities and colleges.

Darin Maresh scored on runs of 79 and 75 yards to lead Southern California Christian High School to a 26-8 victory over the California School for the Deaf at Riverside in an Arrowhead League football game Thursday. Southern California Christian, which improved to 4-2 overall and 1-0 in league, was also led by Nathan Lambie, who completed eight of 14 passes for 163 yards and one touchdown. However, Lambie was sacked eight times by CSDR.

Southern California Christian High School advanced to the state final of the Division III volleyball tournament Saturday by defeating Francis Parker, 15-9, 15-1, 15-7 in Anaheim. The Flames were led by the combined play of seniors Tara Cross and Cinnamon Williams. Cross had 19 kills in the three-game match and Williams had 10. "In this match Tara played really well but it was more a combination of her and Cinnamon," said Ed Gover, Falmes coach.

Southern California Christian High School will have to drop its football program for the upcoming season if it can't hire a coach by next week, Athletic Director Eric Stanlake said. SCC, which plays in the Academy League, hired a coach three weeks ago, but last week Stanlake was informed that Brad Hollenback had changed his mind about taking the job. Stanlake is searching for a replacement, but if one is not found in the next few days the season will be canceled, he said.

Cinnamon Williams of Southern California Christian High School in Anaheim, a Volleyball Monthly All-American, and Daiva Tomkus of Chaminade in Canoga Park, an All-Southern Section pick, have signed letters of intent to play for the UCLA women's volleyball team next season. The USC women's volleyball team landed Yleana Carrasco of Anaheim, who also is one of the top prep high jumpers in the country, as well as Jill Daniels of Irvine Woodbridge and Kathy Rich of Buffalo, N.Y.

After the Southern California Christian High School girls' volleyball team got its passing game in order, the Flames had little trouble winning the state final Saturday afternoon in the Golden West College gym. The Flames defeated Calaveras High School of San Andreas in four games, 15-7, 15-8, 4-15, 15-8, to complete an undefeated season (22-0) and win the Division III title. Earlier this season, the Flames won the Southern Section 1-A championship.

Ed Gover had a plan. Three years ago, he started charting a path for his star pupil, Cinnamon Williams. It was a path that was not about to get crossed. Williams was about to be launched on her way to a productive and prosperous prep career. As an eighth grader at Maranatha Christian Academy in Costa Mesa, Williams caught the attention of Gover, then a physical education teacher and now varsity coach at Southern California Christian High School.

Most mornings by 7:30, Wayne Heck already has arrived at his first job, the Newport Beach ice cream and dessert shop he owns and operates. But after a morning of making bonbons, he goes to Newport Harbor High School and turns his attention to singles and doubles of a different sort in his second job: walk-on baseball coach. Heck, 38, is one of 363 non-faculty varsity head coaches in Orange County high schools.